Bulgarian Tambura

[Colin Lindsay]

I had the chance to play one of these the other night and of course, being me, I’m on the lookout for one… anyone with experience of these who can give me a few tips and pointers?

[DavidKOS]

I've seen a number of them, including ones used by professionals. They are not particularly fancy, often will have green plastic trim and Soviet-era craftsmanship and styling, but can sound great and project enough to carry with a tupan and gaida (drum and bagpipe).

Tuning is DGBE, "Chicago" style, or from another POV, 4 string Greek bouzouki tuning up a step.

[ollaimh]

I have one. i'll maybe do some pictures. I think it's from the former Yugoslavia. the label is in Cyrillic script, or a version of Cyrillic. so it might be Bulgarian. it has a body carved from one piece of wood and a head stock with tuners all on one side.

[DavidKOS]

I have one. i'll maybe do some pictures. I think it's from the former Yugoslavia. the label is in Cyrillic script, or a version of Cyrillic. so it might be Bulgarian. it has a body carved from one piece of wood and a head stock with tuners all on one side.

It could possibly be a tamburitza, the former Yugoslav instrument similar to a tambura. The Cyrillic label though could be Bulgarian. Can you post a pic?

[Colin Lindsay]

I’ll post a photo of the one I was playing recently to se how it compares… off to work in about 30 seconds but back much later!

[Dagger Gordon]

Listen to the Breton guitarist Gilles Le Bigot play the tambura - particularly a track called La Funambule from his CD Empreintes.

[ollaimh]

i'm posting new pictures of my tambura.

[ollaimh]

the label is now almost unreadable. back ten years ago I could read it a bit. my eye sight is a lot worse now. however, maybe with a good light and a magnifying glass you can read it. I recall the writing being some form of Cyrillic, but I can't be sure anymore/ there are a few half frets. the scale is modern. I have seen some of these with weird Balkan and eastern scales, like a saz or a Turkish tambur(which is probably the ancestor).the frets are not the cheapo Balkan style staples--which I have seen. these frets are in laid into the finger board--modern style. it has a great sound . the body is shallow so it's not a deep sound. but their style of music was very treble

I used to play this but not for a few years. I tuned it slack but adad, like a old style bouzouki.

[DavidKOS]

That is most likely not a Bulgarian instrument, the odd fretting is one of the older tamburitza systems. Plus, the tuners and overall design are typical of ex-Yugoslav work and it looks like most of the tamburitzas I've seen. The label could be in Serbian Cyrillic.

Tamburica -

http://tamburica.org/eng/abouttambura.html

http://www.tresnjevka.net/engtamb.htm

http://www.tambura.com.hr/Stara/arhiva.html

http://larkinam.com/Articles/ArtTamburitzas.html

[Colin Lindsay]

That looks more like a baglama… listen to some of Omar Faruk Tekbilek’s playing and see if it sounds similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zz4QOg2sw8

Still, a nice looking and unusual instrument.

[Colin Lindsay]

This is the one I was playing; eight strings and a nice bright clear sound.

[ollaimh]

ok you are playing the eight string thingey. I was calling that a Bulgarian bouzouki.. there was on the classifieds a few years ago, and they turn up on ebay occasionally.

mine is different. yeah probably part of the tambutiza family. although I am no expert.

[DavidKOS]

That looks more like a baglama… listen to some of Omar Faruk Tekbilek’s playing and see if it sounds similar.

I've taken saz lessons with Omar Faruk; the ollaimh's instrument is NOT a baglama. Note the lack of tied on quarter tone frets, etc.

these instruments are all in the same family though.

[ollaimh]

the video wouldn't load, but there are some others for Bulgarian tambura. they are really great music.

[ollaimh]

there is a tamburitza on ebay now, at just under ten bucks. needs a lot of help, but might be a good project for someone.

[Colin Lindsay]

Link??? Don’t tempt me…. please…. however….

[violmando]

I have both a Bulgarian tambura and a Macedonian one; I also play tamburitza instruments (which is what Ollaimh has). You might want to hook up with the Eastern European Folklife Center http://www.eefc.org. and join their forum. MANY players; occasionally one comes up for sale. Mine is just a cheapie off Ebay, altho' it is from Bulgaria. LOVE the sound.
A couple good CDs to check out:
Adam Good DANCES OF MACEDONIA AND THE BALKANS
Valeri Dimchev Trio THE BULGARIAN TAMBOURA
Hope this helps!
Yvonne

[Colin Lindsay]

Hope this helps!
Yvonne

It does - thanks!

[violmando]

This is (hopefully) me with my bulgarian tambura at the EEFC Balkan Music Camp in NY several years ago.

[ollaimh]

well I was inspired by the thread and saw a Bulgarian tambura on e bay and hit the buy it now. couldn't resist. i'll do pictures soon. it is rather funky and folkie but the sound is incredible for such a shallow instrument. the body is carved from one piece. I wouls love to go to the eastern music camp someday. looks fun. right now I am playing my own pieces on it, which I composed for a belly dancer I used to accompany. faux Balkan/Turkish, but it probably wouldn't fool real Balkan /turkish musicians.

I've long been a bouzouki guy so this is an easy transition. now i'll have to try the strange Balkan rhythyms.

[Colin Lindsay]

Lucky man; I’m still searching.. and waiting…!

[DavidKOS]

Valeri Dimchev Trio THE BULGARIAN TAMBOURA

Yeah, thanks.....

[Rick Schneider]

Probably Farkas system

[violmando]

Don't know who on here reads music or learns by ear, but if you're doing the Bulgarian stuff, I recommend BY EAR. I'm classically trained, so the first time I prepared for camp I tried to do it all by reading sheet music and struggled with those WILD time signatures and rhythms. Once I got to camp, I realized that everyone does it by feel or by things like "long, short, short" etc. Made it so much EASIER to feel than try to intellectualize.

[ollaimh]

the video is great. the time signatures are wonderfull. I like the bass instrument as well. looks like a Bulgarian version of the greek laouto. it has eight tuners but the picture looks like only four strings are strung. hard to tell.

I play by ear so this is a piece I can give a try. wish I had a local teacher.